Ayamatte Anata ni Shibara
by Vain-x-Delirium
Summary: Accidentally Tied to You.  "There are no such things as accidents."   MadaraxOCxIzuna
1. Chapter 1

"You cannot go back, I will not allow it!"

To think that a predicament like this would happen in his life. It was unspeakable let alone, thinkable. He did not want to beg. He will not. He did not like to lose anything of particular value to him. He never will. If he loses, he'd form plans to get it back. He always did. He was not a strategist for nothing. His mind was brilliant. He led everyone to prosperity. He was a born leader. He gained everything that he wanted. It was natural for him.

And yet this…

There was this thing that was about to slip from his grasp.

Now that he thought about it quickly, thing might have not been the best of descriptions for it. This it was a person after all, a brat. Yes, that was how he saw her at first, a brat that challenged his every wit and whim; a brat that challenged his patience and his whim. This girl was a brat that challenged his authority and his power; she was the kind of brat that opposed him without question, nor fear for her own life. She was susceptible to weakness, and yet she kept on colliding with his world, head on and firm. Yes, she was the one person who challenged him like he did Hashirama—

"This isn't my time. I can't stay here."

_Her eyes, she's so happy to be leaving. She never even looked at me like this!_

There was an unspoken happiness on the young girl's face as she spoke those words. His world on the other hand seemed to have crumbled slightly. She was not important, held no value, had no meaning and was not even supposed to have existed in his life, and yet…there was an expression that he himself could not allow to escape his lips; poisonous words that was never meant to be spoken, especially by him.

"Then why the hell did you come here in the first place?"

The seal's luster became greater while the girl's form was slowly caught within its range. The elder male grabbed her wrist roughly, and yanked her away from it. He would go with her if need be. But she struggled, and as she stopped and glared at him, the words "It was an accident" spewed from her lips. This time, it was him that froze on his spot. The girl with silver eyes finally yanked her arm away and pushed him away from her. There was no need for him to go to her time. He was needed here, his life was here. Not with her.

The man, being pushed back, fell back slightly. Crimson eyes watched as the light's range finally engulfed her. The seal on the ground burned thereafter and the light faded away.

Nothing…

There was not a thing left.

"She's gone…"

He sat there on the dust laden ground, dumbfounded. The fire that came from the seal burned out after a minute or two and he simply sat there. His eyes were wide with shock. Again, for the last time, she defied him. That brat, that stupid, selfish, arrogant piece of a woman denied him until the end.

"…"

Finally, he stood. He was wrong. There was something left. From the place that she was before her disappearance, a bandana remained. It was a shade of light purple that seemed to be entangled with something. Slowly, he made his way to the object and as he dusted himself off, his calloused fingers reached for it.

"A note…"

His voice was silent as a whisper as the words escaped his lips. Untangling the bandana, he'd find his way reading into the piece of paper that had been left behind. 'I am a person that you can never be with, I'm sorry…Madara.'

There was a moment of silence for him. To think that she decided this without consulting him, she never failed to make him lose his patience. That girl…no, that woman, up to the last moment she lived her reputation of being defiant.

"Kiomi…"

With the wind suddenly blowing, Madara would extend his hand and allowed it to blow the piece of paper away. His left eye would bleed and instantly the sheet would be caught in a black flame. Disintegrating along with the passing breeze, he would turn on his heel and leave. The purple bandana would then be tucked along his belt sash before wiping away at the blood. There was a stoic gaze in his eyes as it reverted back to its original onyx color; his mind occupied only by one thing.

Up to the last moment, she was the woman that gave him a run for his heart.

_You were no accident to me._


	2. Scroll 1

Time

If life had a cruel master that it serves, then it had to be Time.

It was one of those things that was either against you or with you, but as people learn, they also see that time was not always their friend. It was more of a foe that waits for the right moment, ready to take everything away or in this case, hurl you into a world of misery and pain.

Otogakure was more than just a base. It was a number of bases, intertwined at some point. There was no absolute location for it, and it was one of the places that, when infiltrated, was filled with traps. But beyond those traps are a number of winding roads and doors, and each one led to a specific room of function. Any foolish enough to end deep within the bowels of it would be "lucky" enough to be used for experiments. Their head medic was known to be a two faced sadist. He appeared friendly most of the time, as for half of it, it was better to merely be spoken off than to be witnessed. If one was beholding such a thing, then they were probably already being used. The daily screams could not be unheard as the wall had ears that listened. It was only a matter of time.

And speaking of time…

A loud cry could be heard from deep within one of the rooms.

Yakushi Kabuto, Otogakure's medic, was up to his cruel devices once again…especially now that Orochimaru was gone.

"AAAAAAAAHHHH! GYAAAAAAAAAAH!" The cries continued as vile liquid was pumped within her veins. The syringe was a 5cc syringe with a 22m gauge needle. And the liquid that now flowed within her body was a very potent venom that came from a scorpion. The girl that was strapped to the table thrashed around, her body burning from the administered toxin. It was a daily routine to keep her immunity constant. Usually she would have been used to this, but the dose was too much today. It was a sort of punishment as well, due to her current insubordinate behavior.

"Kiomi, what did I tell you about being inconsiderately stubborn?" He asked, pulling down his hood to reveal his face that was half taken over by their lord's genes. The good doctor placed his syringe down on the table and sat across from the young victim. She was still crying out, trying her best not to make a sound, but failed miserably. Sweat covered he whole body, shivering and shaking helplessly as she fought against her restraints. Kabuto watched there, much like he had years ago when he performed the same procedure.

"I'm sorry!—GAAAAAAAAAH-I'm sorry!" Kiomi cried out as she fought against the restraints. So far she could feel herself getting tired, mostly due to her limbs going numb. Soon enough even her struggling would die down and only the sound of her heavy pants filled the room. Kabuto's eyes were on her, watching. The dose that he gave was more than usual; he hoped that she would not die because of this. But if she did, then she could be easily replaced. After all, she was just one of those pawns that lived through to this day. It didn't mean that there was no need to get rid of her if she became a burden to him and his plans. "I won't…do it again…"

And those were the last of her words as she stopped in her struggle. Her breathing more labored than before caused her to suffer much, and her organs, she felt were starting to collapse. Kabuto's sigh of amusement passed soon enough and he would come to stand. Something told him that this was enough punishment. After all, she did say that she was sorry. That and she would never do it again. The medic in his own right was kind, kind enough to let her suffer through other means.

His steps were quiet as his snake tail moved about. Its eyes watched the feverish girl. From under one of the tables, he would get the toxin's antidote, and bring it to where the kunoichi lay. She was so helpless and near death. Had her immunity to poison been anything weaker, then surely she would have been dead by now. All those years of doing this to her paid off. He'd imagine that even her blood would be poisonous enough to kill anyone had she truly wished to use it like that. Still, the girl incorporating it to her jutsu was a feat that he marveled at. Not everyone was capable of extracting poison from their bodies only to mix it with chakra. And according to their earlier conversation, control over it was becoming harder and harder to grasp. This current introduction would surely make it harder for her. It would be interesting to watch.

Once close enough, Kabuto took the vial's cork off. A free hand would slip under the girl's head so that he could lift it with ease. The vial on the other hand was placed along her lips, tipped slightly for the contents to flow in her mouth. Slowly and weakly the girl drank it, but it provided her with no comfort. Usually these cures were a mixture of poisons as well. Of course only poison can cure another poison. And as the vial was emptied, Kabuto set her head down on the cold operating table before proceeding to check on her vitals.

The effects of the antidote were not fast, so it was only natural for her to be in a dead like state. "You'll be fine in a matter of hours. Rest for now, we have an important agenda to uphold."

Those eyes with a likeness to platinum only moved about once to look at the medic. How he resembled Orochimaru in a way made her eyes tick slightly. But her gaze was returned by his, and in silence, an understanding came to pass among the two.

"_Why do you bear with this all alone?"_

_There was a voice in the distance. Everything was dark, not a shroud of light. Lifting up her hands did no good, she couldn't see them. Everything was shrouded in a perpetual darkness, but she was sure of one thing. There was a voice that called to her. A deep voice that was filled with scorn and malice, and yet it tried to comfort her in the most mocking of ways. This was how she felt at least. It was laughable to a degree. _

"_Come to me. I will give you everything that you desire."_

_On that note, her feet started to move. Useless steps made its way forward. No turns, the path she threaded was straight, but it was endless. A void that led into a darker abyss and then as if playing a trick on her, there was a light that surged straight for her. Blinding her and in turn forcing the darkness away._

Gasp.

It was the first thing that she did as she sat up abruptly. The restrains on her body was gone. The leather straps were off and she could breathe a little better than she did earlier on. And then she'd flinch. Her insides were still hurting. And she could barely feel her organs functioning properly. This caused her to cough up blood.

"I see you're awake."

A voice called out to her.

"Kabuto…san…"

There was a lifeless gaze in her eyes as she looked at his direction. Currently the medic had just entered, bringing in some scrolls for his own perusal. Seeing the blood on her lips though made him approach her. And gently, scaled hands would wipe the mess away. Kiomi was unflinching. Kabuto was not as bad as everyone thought him to be. Even with the countless hardships that she had experienced from him, the medic was still amongst one of her most trusted people. And even if she had betrayed Otogakure before, she always came back. And amongst everyone else, this Kabuto was the one person that she could not lift a hand on. She would dare to strike Orochimaru, but never Kabuto. This unification of the two though gave her conflicting feelings. But her better judgment got the better of her. She did not dare strike at him.

"How long have I been out?"

She asked, her voice shaking slightly. It meant that she was still unwell. "For about four hours. Your recovery time is getting better. Do you feel feverish?"

To this, the girl only shook her head, her fists clenched along her lap slightly. She did not feel feverish, but there was something else that bothered her. That dream. She should have felt relieved by something like that, but comfort shrouded in darkness was always something that she felt weary about. She didn't like it.

"Very good, I will need for you to rest more though. I have brought scrolls into your room for you to study. Soon enough, I will be teaching you various things. I will let you meet an important ally. I wish for you to be prepared," He paused for a while in order to wipe his hand on his wine colored cloak. "Return to your room and sleep, I will need you up in eight hours. We will make our move then." She was sort of like a backup plan for him. That and for a few reasons trusted her.

Kiomi was like him after all. Even if she betrayed them once or twice, her loyalty was unquestionable. She wouldn't have returned after all if that was not the case.

On the other hand, the girl complied and staggered out of the door. The way to her chambers were a long one, and when she got there, she couldn't even make it to the bed. She stumbled on the floor, her flesh shaking while her insides still felt like they were melting; this was the effect of the antidote that she drank. It was another kind of poison after all; it had its own side effects.

_Why do you bear with this all alone?_

"I'd like to ask myself that too…I just don't know how to answer."

She mused as she crawled to the bed, her hand slipping on a scroll making her lose her balance. Looking at the scroll, it had the seal that reads Jikan ryoko.

"Jikan Ryoko?" She mused as she sat down with all of her might. The scroll was sealed tightly, and she was curious. This was never a good thing. Her curiosity always led her to one trouble or another. Kiomi wasn't well versed with fuuinjutsu, but she knew how to unseal small ones. How? She took some training before, plus it was almost the same as the sealing techniques used for normal scrolls. With a few strings of hand seals, she broke the seal and much to her displeasure, light would burst from the seal and the scroll alike, and in one go she would be engulfed in it. When the light died down, all that was left was the scroll that had been undone.

"Izuna, what happened, what was that li—ight…Izuna!"

Whatever it was that happened was not accepted warmly by whoever shouted. Being in the middle of a mission and all, that huge distraction from where his brother was could cost them gravely. They had a reputation to uphold after all, and failure was not a part of their fame.

"I'm alright, don't worry."

The man called Izuna spoke, wincing softly as he sat up, steadying what seemed to be a girl, on his lap.

"What the hell is that, an enemy? Did she attack you? Did you take her out?"

Questioned the other as he quickly went to Izuna's aid, checking if he was fine or not.

"No, somehow though she saved me…after falling out of nowhere."

And with that ending statement, he gazed north of him, where three arrows struck the ground. "Let's take her with us."

"Are you insane?"

Izuna shook his head and placed the unconscious girl on the ground. Once he was on his feet, he bended down and slipped his hands underneath the girl. One hand would support her back by holding onto her shoulder while his other hand would be slipped under the girl's legs…in short a princess style of carrying someone. "I'd like to show her my gratitude, that and she has a fever. Madara, you know that I can't leave someone like this."

There was no response from the person called Madara just yet. Eyes would narrow shortly thereafter, and with a quick motion from his hand, the kunai that rested on his hip was clutched and thrown towards Izuna. The blade missed the other male's cheek barely, only, it didn't seem to miss whatever it was that lurked from behind. With a dying gasp, the creeper ninja fell beside Izuna, pupils dilated and hardly breathing.

"Do what you want. Just don't become vulnerable to attacks." Madara retorted, and left.

"Thank you, brother." Was Izuna's silent reply before he himself left with the mysterious girl.


	3. Scroll 2

**Author's Note: I'd like to apologize for my pace. I have been busy with numerous work projects. On top of that, there are times when I cannot log in on my account. **

**I have not been able to attend to any of my stories, but I hope this chapter will compensate. Sadly, a number of my thoughts have gone astray so I'm making use of what comes to mind. My computer had been corrupted as well. This was not supposed to be the second chapter, but seeing as I cannot fully remake the actual one, I compromised it with this. To your liking – I hope it is. **

**Thank you for all of you who took the time reading it. I'll take in your suggestions if you have any for my story. Some have asked if Kiomi is a Hyuuga. The answer though is no. She's someone from a different clan that was not born in Konoha. She's also my friend's character. I'm borrowing her for my evil multi-purpose purposes. If you want to see a picture of her so that you can get a clear picture of what she looks like you can visit my Deviant Art. I have drawings of her there. .com/**

**P.S.: Oh, and Rix, your English is fine. **

**With that out of the way, let's continue with our story, shall we?**

**:.:.:.:  
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"Will you all just remain silent?"

His voice wasn't extended, but it was enough to keep the entire clan from becoming too rowdy. Everyone was aware of the new threat that invaded their hide-out. And to be honest, not one of them – not even the clan leader himself – was too pleased with the situation that was ahead of them.

"I know that everyone is against this," his words echoed in the spacious gathering hall, and instantly all eyes were on him. There was a look of agitation on his face, a sign that he was not happy with the decision that he was about to make. But for the sake of someone important to him, there was no real choice that could be taken. He'd rather die than be indebted to some stranger, even if it meant that the stranger could be a possible threat to their clan's existence. "But for the sake of honor, accept it. Izuna's life was spared today and not gaining another casualty is important."

The silence continued to grow strong. Heads turned from side to side and eyes that exchanged glances looked doubtful and resentful, but on the other hand, their leader made a good point. Countless lives had been lost due to the battle that recently ended, and if Izuna had perished at the hands of the enemy like some of their clansmen, then that would have been a bothersome event. Although their current leader was strong and powerful, his younger brother was matched with him evenly. Losing him would have been like losing the next person to lead the clan in case something happened to Madara. "Since you're all silent, can I take this as an answer that everyone in this hall understands?"

"Yes." In unison, everyone answered. A smirk of approval was instantly etched in their leader's face. Trying to convince them for countless hours and arguments paid off. At least now, he can rest well knowing that Izuna will not be blamed for this. On a side note, he wanted to blame that mysterious girl for everything. The uproar that the headquarters tasted was painful to the ears, and she merely slept through it, feverish and oblivious. Not that he hated women, but he always viewed them as troublesome and a complete waste of time. He could not understand his brother's fondness for the little pest especially when she looked as annoying as she does.

_Defenseless, what is so good with that?_ He thought as he dismissed everyone else. Right now, they were back to their own lives, and being an Uchiha, that meant sharpening up their craft or getting ready for their next onset.

While others with busy with their own tasks, Madara decided to be busy on another thing – being an older brother. The strict kind that was about to reprimand the younger brother for his foolish and uncalled for actions.

"Izuna we need to ta—"

An exasperated sigh left his lips as he entered the younger Uchiha's chamber. To see him there on the floor, sleeping, while a foreign body occupied his bed made him twitch internally. Of all the things that he had to display, it really had to be this useless look of infatuation. After being with him for such a long time, he never saw him with such a deep interest in anyone. The girls from their clan who approached him, Izuna turned down without question and yet right now, after being saved…he was like this? He knew his brother was a little bit on the mellow side even if it was not noticeable, but this was just ridiculous.

"Seriously, this younger brother of mine…" The words trailed off from his mouth as he closed the door gently behind him. Slowly he advanced to where his brother was, and removing the coat that he had on, placed it atop Izuna's broad shoulders. Glancing sideways though, he caught sight of the feverish girl. He stared for a moment. "Can that urban legend be true?" There was no one in particular to ask, but like this, the girl seemed…alluring. Face was red; beads of sweat lined her forehead and an unbelievably uncomfortable expression showed in her visage; pretty so to speak. People with high fever really did become mysteriously alluring. But this was not enough to gain his trust or his intrigue. When you've seen one girl, you've seen them all. When you see them sick, they were just contagious. Aside from not having the doujutsu that they had, she was no different from any other girl in the clan – not any different from any other girl in general. Her hair was oddly colored though – and from the looks of it, someone had attended to her. The dirty clothes she wore were folded and placed on one of the chairs inside the room, and for a moment Madara shot his brother a glance. _Let's hope this is not you're handy work. _He was too young for these kinds of stimulation. At least, even if he was an excellent fighter, he wanted to preserve his cute little brother's manly innocence.

"My brother seems so hung up on you, what's so good with you anyway, woman?" Just in her sleep, he'd ask. There was that irritated look on his face once again. Usually it was something that he can control very well, but for some reason, just seeing her makes him angry. Probably it was because someone was finally snatching away Izuna's concentration. Ever since they returned to the hideout, his younger brother had done nothing but bother about that little wench. _'Brother, I'll take care of her. Please explain the situation to them. It's likely that they'll understand if it came from you.'_ Just remembering the hassle of telling everyone to shut up was enough to make him angry. Everyone had asked if he was insane. No one and NO ONE ELSE should know about the Uchiha HQ, but right now an outsider was there. Madara was sure that even with that unified "Yes", people were still bothered by it. No, they must be furious about the decision. "I can't wait to throw you out." His index finger would wrap at a few strands of the girl's hair, quite tempted to yank and drag her away from their home.

"Who can't you wait to throw out, Nii-san?" And there! There came the less than amused sound of Izuna's voice. When Madara turned to his brother, he was staring at him with a straight face. Actually, he was staring more at the finger intertwined with hair. Noticing this, Madara relinquished his hold and simply allowed his hand to fall at his side once more.

"Her." He'd turn to his brother before pointing his thumb over his shoulders and at the girl. "I only plan to let her stay here until she's recovered. After that, I don't want to see even her shadow lurking near this place." He continued.

"You're so rough with women, Madara. You'll never get a wife acting like that." Izuna frowned upon him as he sat up and leaned his elbow on the bed.

"It's not like I need one. I only need to protect you and the clan. Others can get married and give birth."

"And your successor would be…?"

"You, of course…and if you get married, at least choose someone from within the clan; not a dubious looking _Noraneko_ (stray cat)."

Izuna simply frowned more upon this. He even sighed after he was counter scolded. To think that his brother desperately hated their guest was a little too much. He knew why – she was a stranger and not an Uchiha at that, but still he was being too judgmental without even getting to know her. In a way, Izuna himself was like that too since he assumes that the mystery girl was harmless. They both had their opinions, and usually they matched, but it was with little things like this that they usually had problems. "Well what if she can gain the clan's trust? Can you let her stay?"

"Izuna, are you serious? They're already against her being here. Don't keep pets just because it's convenient for you."

"She's not a pet, she saved me. At least acknowledge that. I want to repay her."

"I do, but I cannot accept to let her stay in this place for a long time. It will bother everyone. She will be trouble."

"Wanna make a bet then?" This time, it was Izuna's turn to make a bargain. If Madara had been doing it with the clan earlier, this time, it was the younger brother's turn to make the bargain, not only with the entire clan, but towards his older brother specifically.

"Stop it with your games already, it's not amusing." His decision was final. The girl was not going to stay. He turned on his heel to leave. To be honest Madara was not expecting to quarrel with his brother; he really wanted to make sure that he was okay…so how did it turn out like this.

"Afraid that you'll lose then I see…" Izuna trailed off and sighed. These though were words that were like the most potent of poisons. The smallest dose was enough to provoke a reaction. And just as Madara froze in his place, twitching at his brother's arrogance, silver eyes fluttered to a slow open and movement was made over the surface of the bed. Izuna noticing this stole a glance as she tried to sit up, Madara on the other hand turned exactly as she finished. Crimson hues would stare intently at the girl with contempt. The three tomoes looked menacing and upon seeing those, her eyes widened. _Wha—what…those eyes?_

"A month…I'll give you a month to receive EVERYONE'S trust."

And he'd exit, slamming the door behind him.

"Did you have a good sleep, Noraneko-chan?" That shook the girl from her trance, and she turned to face the direction of the voice. When she looked at the person who addressed her in a weird name, she was shocked once again. This caught Izuna's curiosity.

"Is there something on my face? Although I'm sure that you're more shocked to find yourself in a strange pla—"

"Sasuke…I'll kill you along with that Sharingan of yours!"

_Eh?_ He was surprised. For an outsider to know of his doujutsu was a big deal. Although their clan was infamous, not everyone knew about their eyes. For a girl who suddenly appeared to know them, and question him why he had it – and in addition, spoke of an unknown person who she says possesses the Sharingan – he was curious.

"You, who are y—"

"Don't look at me with those cursed eyes!" Again he was surprised. His eyes were already activated, the crimson orbs present. Just as he was about to put her under a genjutsu, tomoes starting to move in a rotating fashion, she turned away and closed her eyes shut.

Kiomi hated those eyes. They were the eyes that could rob one of their senses. Being trapped within a world of genjutsu was her weakness. She had been caught by it multiple times, unable to break free without suffering some kind of trauma. It would leave her powerless and exhausted. It took too much of her chakra reserves, and it didn't help that it was Sasuke who used it on her. He was a man that he hated so much; and to see so many of these eyes so suddenly made her feel sick. Just the color was enough to make her cringe and seeing one so up close and with a motive to put her under an illusion, she was not taking her chances.

"Woman, how is it that you know about the Sharingan?" Even Izuna had his moments of seriousness. Even if he was deliberately kind, something like this was still information that shouldn't be out of the clan. His brother could be right; she could really be some kind of enemy. And for her to seem to know so much about their eye technique was alarming.

"It's because those eyes are the eyes that I hate the most." She felt a cold material pressed up against her neck. Sharp and digging, it felt like a kunai. It was this time that she fiercely opened her eyes. Orbs of silver glared straight right into crimson ones that instantly deactivated. Izuna jumped back slightly, kunai grasped just above his face as he took a defensive stance to ward off the pair of what seemed like...Ice needles. _She – her eyes just now, had such strong killing intent in them. _

And in that next instant, she fell back onto the mattress with a flushed face. She looked like she was in pain as she lost consciousness once again. His stance relaxed, kunai being dropped to the ground. He was a little surprised. To feel like that, to be stared at like that…it was the first time that someone reacted to him like that. It made his heart skip a beat – her fierceness. And to add to that, those eyes that were like platinum had an eerie hold on him. Her words captured him instantly. His eyes were the eyes that she hated. _Why?_ He was curious. He himself was noticing his abnormal attraction to this mysterious lady, but he couldn't help it for some reason. Something about her just made him stop thinking. It made him stop thinking rationally for the meantime at least.

"I think I'm forced to believe in it now," he whispered softly as he knelt down by the bed. Her flushed face was twisted in agony, like fighting something in her head; a nightmare maybe. "…love at first sight." Soft locks of hair would be gathered in his hand. Those strands would then be brought to his lips, and then, a gentle kiss.

**:.:.:.:**

"Ugh, my head feels like a ton of bricks…" Her eyes hadn't opened yet, but she spoke. The girl with silver eyes moved her hand up to rub at her temple. There was a slightly warm feeling that traveled to her body, and upon opening an eye, she noticed why. There was a window, and her most hated Sun was there, forcing her to bask in its majestic glory. Come to think of it…

"What is this place? I feel like I was having a nightmare…" Which included people having Sharingans; a fact that she hoped was fiction. She really didn't like that doujutsu; such a problematic eye technique. Looking around though, she blinked. This wasn't her room. In fact, there were too many scrolls here for it to be her room. It smelled like a guy's room secondly, and she didn't really feel comfortable being here. These were the surroundings of her dream earlier as well. It made her remember the uncanny feeling of cold metal against her neck. It was infuriating. But in her dream she seemed to have fared well enough. She glared at that man and he backed away, then everything was over. Still something told her that everything was drastically wrong and out of place. How come? Why her clothes for example. Looking at it, it could not have been her clothes at all. The usual jacket that she wore was not around her, her turquoise mesh shirt was missing from her body and all she had on was her gray khakis and a long dark blue long sleeved shirt. The collar was a little too familiar too. "Where have I seen this before...?" She was sure that she knew where she saw this style before.

"Sorry to intrude, but I'm coming in."

Her focus was now on the door. _Sasuke? No…a different person?_ When it opened, a man with spiky hair tied in a pony came in with a tray of what seemed like congee. "I knew I heard you talking. You have a nice voice." With that comment, Kiomi's cheeks flared red. If she had another weakness aside from Genjutsu then it was compliments. She absolutely cannot stand them. Talk about tough Otogakure upbringing.

"Are you still sick? Your face is red. Good thing I brought some medicine." He continued to speak as he walked in. Kiomi only watched him as he did as she was still too tired to move. Although, she did sit up again to try and get a better look at this stranger.

"Excuse me, do I know you?" she asked.

"Well no, but you did save me. Here eat something before you drink your medicine. You've been out for two days. You had a very high fever so we took care of you while we could."

He explained simply. For some reason, his outward appearance was easy enough to believe. When he placed the meal on a small bed table that he arranged just above her lap, she instantly began to eat without hesitation. "It's good."

Izuna couldn't help but smile at her pleased look. "Others would have checked for poison. You on the other hand just went straight and dug in."

"Oh, did you put poison in this? I don't mind really." Stunned, he looked at her innocent face. She faced him while saying that, spoon pressed at the base of her lips, like a kid. At this point, he was forced to cover his mouth, clutch his stomach and then look to the side. He wanted to hide his laughter but her couldn't – not fully at least. "Ahaha! What if I really put poison in your food while you eat it? What then?"

"It's this good, I'll still eat it." And she took another spoonful. At this point, he looked at her with disbelief. The girl that was so threatening during her time of high fever was now here, sitting and eating like an innocent child that was without a care in the world. "You – you really wouldn't care…"

"Mm-hmm."

"Why would you do that? You're such a strange girl. Don't you care about dying, you're so young."

"Well, you're one to talk, thinking about killing the me that's so young." she casted her gaze at him only to catch him staring at her as well. "You didn't answer my question. Why would you not care if your food was poisoned?"

"Because I have immunity to it."

"You're so easy to tell people this? Can't you have second thoughts?"

"It's not something secret worthy."

"You're still strange."

"So I've been called countless times."

The girl continued to eat and he could only smile. She was peculiar, definitely not the kind of woman that satisfies his taste, be he still oddly found himself attracted to her in some mysterious way. "Can I know the name of my savior now?"

"Kiomi," She stopped eating for a while only to look at him. "And who owes me his life?"

_So she's a little arrogant too, huh? _

"Izuna. Uchiha, Izuna."

That caused her to drop her spoon. Was he joking? Weren't the Uchiha dead?

"Uchiha, Izuna? How are you related to Uchiha Sasuke?" The question came suddenly. "You called me 'Sasuke' two nights ago too while attacking me with what looked like ice. I don't know who he is, and I'm sure no one in the clan has the name Sasuke."

_Eh?_

"What do you mean? But the Uchiha clan was wiped out in Konoha and only Sasuke survived." The curiosity in her eyes was apparent as the meal was discarded. Izuna could not understand what she was saying, and somehow he didn't want to understand it.

"What are you saying? What's a Konoha?" Izuna asked, this time, more curious than she was.

Something was definitely wrong here.

"What the hell are you saying? The Uchiha clan, wiped out? You've seriously got to be killing me." The door opened suddenly, revealing the head of the clan, eyes flaring in its crimson glory.

"Brother," Izuna called out. He too knew how Madara felt.

"Like hell that would happen, not even over my dead body."


	4. Scroll 3

"Madara, stop it!"

"Ow, you're hurting me, let me go!"

Right now, the female's wrists were in the strong grasp of the clan head. After hearing that Uchiha Clan wipeout nonsense, he just had to drag her off the bed on onto her feet. At this point, the food that she was in the middle of consuming had been spilled on the sheets much to Izuna's displeasure. Truthfully, he wished his brother was a little gentler with fragile creatures like women. Then again, he knew how Madara felt right now. To hear that the clan that he was protecting with all of his might was to be wiped out was like a practical joke. They were one of the – if not the most – most powerful clans around. And with their numbers and their secret eye technique, it was impossible for anyone to even come close to annihilating their entire clan. What puzzled Izuna was the sound of the girl's voice when she spoke of this. He couldn't forget the look in her eyes too. They were sincerely curious, as if what she was saying was an actual fact.

"Silence!" While Izuna was busy thinking – he isn't now, that's for sure – Madara shouted at the girl who refused to stop nagging at him to let her go.

"Here I was, thinking of checking up on you and giving you a chance because Izuna is so fond of you—"

"Brother!"

"—but after spouting nonsense like that, I'm going to make sure you're not getting a chance to be trusted by anyone."

It was safe to say that Madara was offended, and at this point, hated Kiomi's guts. Izuna was a little annoyed at his brother's outbursts too. To tell a girl something like him liking her, even he had his pride. There were more pressing matters at the moment though as Madara dragged her out of the room. There could only be one possible next scenario to take place. An introduction to the clan…

"So what's this about, why'd he call us out?"

"I have no idea. He did announce that it was important."

"Maybe he'll chase out the intruder once and for all." "I don't think so. I heard from Noriko that the brothers are competing again, and this time, used the girl as grounds for their competition."

"Those two are always like that, if they weren't so capable, I wouldn't want them as heads of the clan."

"There are more who are suited." "No, Madara's the best choice. He does make the best decisions."

"It should have been Izuna. He's more peaceful than his older brother."

Needless to say, chatter was going on. There were different topics, but mostly, it was the stuff that was always being discussed within the clan behind the leader's back. Of course, if he heard about some preferring Izuna, it would have been considered treason…and Madara wasn't exactly the kindest leader. Sure he does everything for them, but he was still a force that could wipe them out if he wished.

"Is everyone gathered?" The hall came into murmurs and then a complete silence when Madara finally stepped in along with his younger brother and the mysterious girl. All eye were on the female who wore their traditional clothes, it was very unsightly. They didn't want anyone else wearing their crest, especially if they were strangers. It was like a blasphemy to the clan.

"Everyone seems to be here." Izuna confirmed, his Sharingan activated to keep count of the people that had gathered. Glancing off to the girl, her expression baffled him. Her eyes grew wide at the sight of the ichizoku's entirety. If he could describe it, her paleness, it seemed to have been brought about by seeing ghosts. What was it about her expression that made uneasiness set in?

"Do you see this girl?" Madara finally spoke to the group in accordance to yanking her up front. The mass of people stared at the platform where the three stood; eyes were raking the girl up and down. Her silver orbs caught sight of black eyes mixed in with crimson ones. The feeling made her feel sick. She could not understand what was happening, and now to add to the most of her confusion, she saw countless people possessing the Sharingan. She could never be wrong about those eyes. "She claims to know something about the entirety of the Uchiha Ichizoku being wiped out."

"What?" "Is she crazy?" "She must be, our clan, wiped out?" "Impossible." "Not even the Senjuu can kill us. There's no one strong enough to eradicate the whole clan."

Again, the whispers continued. She was being eyed with criticism now and they were ready to believe that she was indeed one of the enemy. Being a clan of genjutsu users, it would be easy to get information from her.

"But it's true! Ow! Let me the hell go!" She continued on. When she cursed at Madara, and much to his surprise she really did, he twisted her hand behind her more, creating more pain for her. "So how can you explain the entire clan that's looking at you?" The leader asked.

That was a good point actually. She couldn't explain it. "Itachi…" Madara stared at her for a moment. "It was someone named Uchiha Itachi! The man who singlehandedly slaughtered the Uchiha clan!"

_Singlehandedly…_

The clan head's grip loosened for a moment. _A man would singlehandedly bring us down? Impossible. _There was no one stronger than him. Even Izuna was only at par with him, and for someone to try and defeat them all alone, that man simply did not exist. When the girl blurted this out, gasps and whispers once again filled the hall. It was simply preposterous.

"Impossible!" Someone from the crowd yelled. "No one would betray the clan!" Another one urged.

"Could this be Hashirama's tactic? Send this girl over to us in order to confuse our flanks?" Even Izuna was in on the suspicions now. He would believe what the girl said if it was a different case. He couldn't possibly side with her when she spoke ill of the clan and its members. Not even something so trivial as love can get him to side with others when their family was at stake. Looking over at his brother, Izuna saw the shock on Madara's face. Unbeknownst to him though, Madara was more concerned about someone being more powerful than him.

"You said Hashirama…" Kiomi spoke, looking at Izuna who nodded with slight suspicion.

"But isn't he dead?" Now that, that one came to the surprise of many. In fact, the question, 'What was she talking about?' was the inquiry that was asked the most.

"Impossible!" That was probably the last draw for the clan's leader.

"No one," He paused only to grab her by the collar of the clothes that she wore. "No one is allowed to defeat Senjuu Hashirama besides myself." Abruptly, she'd push her away, sending her toppling back to the edge of the platform.

"Lock her up in the lower cells. Have someone send a falcon to the Senjuu, by morning we will be returning to them their rat."

**:.:.:.:**

"It's not like I lied…"

_This isn't the first time that I got in trouble for telling the truth, but this is a little too much, even for me._

The dust laden floor was all but kind. She didn't mind that it was cold, but she minded that it was dirty. It wasn't the kind of dirty where there's just dust and bugs running around. When there's a skull at the other side of the cell and bones at the other, well, things were looking so good for the worst.

There were so many things that confused her and among them was the restoration of the Uchiha clan. Someone had gossiped that the man named Itachi was a nonexistent figure which meant that something was really off. Kiomi didn't like the looks of it. Not one bit. Of course, aside from this, the fact that Hashirama was still alive was also a pressing matter. It was just not possible. She had seen documents before in the loab which concerned an experiment using the Shodaime's cells, and it was clearly stated there that they had been gathered when he had died. So it was just impossible for him to be alive.

"Unless…"

An idea was sparked in her head. It could have been during that time. The lass tried her best to remember the events that unfolded when she was still inside her own room. She could remember seeing a scroll and she could remember unsealing the scroll. After that, she was engulfed by a light that was bright enough to blind her and the next thing that she knew…she was with these people.

"Could I have traveled back in time?" She asked herself. "But that's impossible too, right? Although…" She also remembered how Izuna was clueless about Konoha. Considering that it was the village where the Uchiha was and was slaughtered, it was just not possible for them to not know it. Unless of course she traveled back to the time where the villages weren't even established…

"I still don't get it. But if that really is the case, then that would explain why the Uchiha's are still alive."

"What would explain why we're still alive?"

Taken away from her thoughts, Kiomi's head snapped up at the sound of a familiar voice. "Izuna-san…" she mused.

"Where did you get those?" He reinforced his arrival with another question. As his fingers pointed at the beads that gave of a purple glow, Kiomi picked one up and reached her hand outside of the cell. From the looks of it, it looked like she was giving one to him. There was a sense of hesitation on the Uchiha's part as he himself extended his hand just below hers. He even stopped for a while, but when he noticed that his was directly under dainty digits, Kiomi dropped it onto his opened palm.

"I made them."

"They're so cold." He noticed.

"They're made of ice." She explained.

"Come to think of it, when you attacked me two nights ago, you also produced ice shaped senbons. I've never seen anyone with that kind of jutsu before,"

He paused only to crouch down and look at her. "And I've never seen a Jutsu that I cannot copy either, or a person outside of the clan who knows about the Sharingan." He smirked before suddenly activating his Sharingan.

"Ack!" This made Kiomi panick to the point where she grabbed the luminous ice pebbles only to hurl it violently at Izuna. Skilled as he was, those were easily caught. "Goddamnit, don't look at me with those eyes." _They're all the same. Every last one of them, past, present or future, they're all walking nightmares!_

"I really don't believe that you're one of Hashirama's lackeys." From her curled up position, she glanced the moment that she heard some weight shift on the ground. There she'd saw Izuna sitting down, back pressed against the metal bars while hands were used to cushion his head.

"But weren't you the one who suggested that I was?"

"I was. But after hearing you claim that he's dead, I thought about it." His voice seemed like he was smiling.

"What if I was lying?" She asked in turn.

"I don't think you are."

"Why?"

"You just don't seem like the type of person that would lie about something when you know that it's true." And with this, he turned to her, smiling a most radiant smile. It was enough to make her blush that she had to look away. Unfortunately for her, Izuna noticed this.

"So, this guy who has the Sharingan…this Sasuke guy, is he your lover or something?"

"HELL NO, HE'S NOT!"

Izuna jolted at the sound of her voice and it even made him chuckle that she'd react so violently to it. "You, you're so honest."

"I still want to know though," Once again, Izuna spoke, this time reaching in and dropping the luminous ice down by her. "What would explain why we're still alive?" For them, again, it was back to square one.

**:.:.:.:**

"What nonsense is that Izuna?" Madara who was sitting down on his chair lofted a brow at his brother. "I thought I told you to get some information from her, not humor her by believing her lies."

"I thought she was lying too. But while I was talking to her, it just felt like she was telling the truth." Izuna reasoned. With a deep sigh, Madara stood up and paced around. His hands were tucked across his chest and every movement was filled with doubt and a lingering sense of worry. "A person that came from the future doesn't seem to be likely unless you have proof that she's telling the truth."

"She knows about the Sharingan, even the Tsukiyomi." Those words alone got Madara to stop. An outside who knew about the Sharingan was unthinkable.

"Will you still return her to Hashirama knowing our secret?"

"We'll dispose of them both at the meeting place. After all, Hashirama already answered our invitation to meet." He replied before producing a letter with the Senjuu seal attached to it.

_So it really had to come down to this._


End file.
